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Researchers found that a protein derived from the venom of the tropidolaemus wagleri snake reduced the formation of blood clots in mice.

Discovery could lead to safer treatment for blood clots

A protein found in snake venom could lead to a safer treatment for blood clots, new research has found.

According to Medical News Today, a protein derived from the venom of the tropidolaemus wagleri snake has reduced the formation of blood clots in mice, without excessive bleeding.

The research was carried out by National Taiwan University in Taipei and published in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology.

Current methods for reducing the formation of blood clots - such as aspirin and clopidogrel - work by preventing platelets from clumping together. Doctors prescribe these antiplatelet medications to prevent heart attack, stroke and heart disease, but a major side effect is bleeding after an injury.

It is hoped that this new discovery could pave the way to a new antiplatelet drug that is equally effective, but not cause excessive bleeding.

Trowaglerix

In previous studies, researchers found that that trowaglerx - a protein found in the venom of tropidolaemus wagleri - interacts with glycoprotein VI (GPVI) - a protein that resides on the surface of platelets - to form blood clots.

In this new study, Dr Jane Tseng and her colleagues assessed the structure of this protein and were able to create a drug that blocks GPVI activity.

When they tested the drug on mice, the mice experienced slower blood clot formation. They also didn’t bleed any longer than mice that hadn’t been treated with the drug.

Dr Tseng believes the findings suggest that trowaglerix might offer a safer, effective strategy to prevent blood clots. But she stresses that more research is needed to ascertain the safety and efficacy of the drug in humans.

"In general, this type of molecule design does not last long in the body, so techniques like formulation or delivery system are likely needed to extend the exposure time in the human body," she told Medical News Today.

“The design must also be optimised to ensure that the molecule only interacts with GPVI and not other proteins which can cause unintended reactions."

Natural England has announced a new scheme to improve flood protection, boost wildlife and create 160 hectares of new saltmarsh. The £6 million scheme in Lancashire will effectively unite the RSPB’s Hesketh Out Marsh Reserve and Natural England’s Ribble Estuary National Nature Reserve. The completed reserve will be the largest site of its kind in the north of England.

Students and ethics experts will host an event on the difficult moral challenges facing vets. Ethical issues, such as euthanasia and breeding animals for certain physical traits, will be discussed by prominent speakers including TV vet Emma Milne and RSPCA chief vet James Yeates. Other topics will include how to tackle suspected animal abuse and the extent of surgical intervention.

The conference will look at how these dilemmas affect the wellbeing of vets, and explore how to better prepare veterinary students for work. It will be held at the University of Edinburgh’s Easter Bush Campus from 30 September - 1 October 2017. Tickets can be purchased here.